CZ:An extended introduction to the Citizendium: Difference between revisions

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imported>Larry Sanger
(Replacing page with '[http://www.citizendium.org/cznewvision.html Please see the most recent version of this essay here.]')
 
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''I'm going to be writing here "in real time" on the wiki a speech about CZ that I'll be delivering Thursday evening at Eastern Michigan State U. as part of a series organized by Marshall Poe.  (I'll be speaking also on Friday--one session will be an introduction to how to use the CZ system, and that should be videotaped, so we might be able to use it!)''
[http://www.citizendium.org/cznewvision.html Please see the most recent version of this essay here.]
 
''The constraints here are (1) the speech is for a university audience that, while familiar with the Internet (of course), is not particularly familiar with CZ; (2) 30 minutes (leaving plenty of time for Q&A); (3) should explain the specific ''advantages'' of the CZ system.  I also want to make sure that CZ is not portrayed as merely a ''response'' to Wikipedia, but as something valuable in and of itself.  Of course, I'll be unable to avoid mention of Wikipedia and I don't think it's necessary or desirable to entirely avoid mention.''
 
''So, how should CZ be introduced?  One can look at it as a solution to a problem (fixing Wikipedia's problems).  But it is better to look at it as the development of an exciting opportunity. --[[User:Larry Sanger|Larry Sanger]]''
 
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Five or ten years ago, if I were introducing a new wiki encyclopedia project, I would have to argue and explain at great length about the advantages of mass collaboration. And you all would be very skeptical. I would explain how people can come together online from around the world and donate their labor to create something that everyone can access freely, and which is controlled by the contributors themselves. I would have to teach lessons about bottom-up methods and free content.  But today, most of you are all firm believers that enormous amounts of reasonably good, if not perfect, content can be created by online communities.  Everybody knows what giant online communities can create, because everyone can see the results in Wikipedia, YouTube, and the many other community-built websites.
 
So my task isn't to explain everything about how the ''Citizendium,'' this new project, works, because in many ways it works similarly to many other Internet community content projects.  It is open to everyone--or, everyone willing to work under our rules, anyway.  It is built collaboratively, by people working together on a wiki.  It is built bottom-up, which means no one is assigning articles, and generally, no one in authority needs to be consulted except when really difficult disputes need to be resolved; instead, the people who make decisions about an article are the people who happen to show up.  The resulting content is free, meaning anyone can read and republish it, at will and free of charge.  And it is run by a non-profit.
 
This is familiar territory for most people with much recent experience online, so I will not rehearse these points further.
 
... [explain the opportunity that CZ leverages] ...
 
That is the opportunity that the ''Citizendium'' project leverages.
 
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Latest revision as of 12:39, 15 February 2008

Please see the most recent version of this essay here.

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